Search form

Search form

An analysis of data from seven studies found that antidepressants were highly effective in seniors suffering from long-term depression that is at least moderately severe. "Among patients with a long duration of depression, patients with severity of at least moderate intensity -- a Hamilton score of 21 or greater -- showed the greatest drug effects," a researcher said. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Summaries

Focus on career enhancements that will have "multiplicative effects," such as investing in long-term growth in knowledge and relationships, writes Michael Church. "[Y]ou're better off having an average reputation and investing mental energy in self-improvement, than being the 'team player' who everyone likes but no one sees as a leader or promotes," he writes.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is likely to adopt a short-term experimental tool for controlling short-term rates as long-term policy, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said. Reverse repos, which allow financial firms to place cash with the Fed in exchange for an overnight loan of U.S. Treasurys, are likely to be "among our tool bag and therefore may very well have a role in how we try to influence short-term interest rates," Lockhart said in Dubai.

A proposed rule from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would require manufacturers of liquid soaps containing triclosan and other antibacterial chemicals to prove the ingredients are safe for long-term use and more effective against infection than plain soap. "Some data suggest that long-term exposure to certain active ingredients used in antibacterial products -- for example, triclosan (liquid soaps) and triclocarban (bar soaps) -- could pose health risks, such as bacterial resistance or hormonal effects," the agency said. Companies have until June to comment and the FDA hopes to finalize the rule by September 2016.

Symptoms of cognitive decline remained steady for nursing home patients with dementia who interacted with service animals, compared with increased agitation, aggression and depression in patients who did not receive animal therapy, researchers reported in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Researchers from Germany and Switzerland said animal-assisted therapy was a promising option, but research is needed on the effects of longer-term animal therapy.

CDC officials reported Monday that more than 2 million U.S. patients develop infections associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually, resulting in at least 23,000 deaths. "Patients need to understand that antibiotics are not the solution for every illness. It's important that people not take antibiotics when they aren't necessary. It contributes to resistance, and it also has consequences to the patient in the form of side effects," said Dr. Steve Solomon of the CDC. Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, warned of the long-term public health threat if antibiotic use does not become more prudent: "The medicine chest will be empty."